He nodded with understanding. “Are you freaking out? Ready to change your mind?”
I shook my head. “Not at all. I’m excited for it.”
“You are?”
“I am. It’s going to be fun.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Fun? You think a big public event is going to be fun?”
I smiled. “I do.”
He was nodding and smiling. “Awesome. Hell, she really did change you. This is exactly what the company needs. The timing couldn’t be better either with the holidays right around the corner. I think this is going to be great for sales and be the very thing we need to launch the company to the next level.”
“The next level?”
“Securing our spot at the top,” he replied.
“Oh, yes, I suppose. I’m looking forward to seeing people enjoy the candy. I realized I make the candy and then never see how it goes over.”
He chuckled. “You really are a changed man. How are things going with you and Harper?”
“Good. Can I ask you something?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
I took another drink and thought about how I would phrase my question. “She asked me about kids.”
His eyes widened. “Like she wants to have your babies?”
“No. She just asked if I had thought about having children. I told her I didn’t think I would be a good father and that wasn’t something I had thought about.”
He nodded. “But she already has a kid.”
“Yes.”
“Damn, she’s moving fast.”
“How so?”
“She’s asking you if you’re ready for kids because she’s ready to take the relationship to the next level,” he explained. “That’s fast. Really fast.”
I thought about it. “I’m not sure if that was the only reason. Her son, Jace, had some trouble at school. He apparently gets bullied a lot, and I tried to give him some advice on how to handle it. I’ve certainly got enough personal experience. The kid hugged me.”
“Hugged you?”
“Yes. It wasn’t terrible, but it was unexpected.”
“And Harper witnessed this hug?” he questioned.
“Yes.”
“Ah, I see,” he said.
“What do you see?”
“Women cannot resist a man that is good with kids. Kids are babe magnets. When they see a man with kids, it makes them a little gaga.”
I scowled. “I don’t think it was just the hug that made her gaga. We get along really well. Things are very, um, good between us.” I alluded to sex but didn’t come right out and say it.
He chuckled, obviously catching on to what I was saying. “I see. Well, what do you think about the kid thing?”
I shrugged. “I like Jace. I feel like I can help him. I have a lot of experience with what he’s going through. I want him to know it gets better and he will get through it.”
He nodded. “I can understand that. What does Jace think about you?”
“How so?”
“Does he look at you like a daddy?”
I chuckled. “I don’t know what that looks like. We hang out. We talk. We laugh.”
“What do you talk about with a kid?” he asked with a confused look on his face. “Aren’t they all cartoons and video games?”
“Not Jace. He likes art and he’s really smart. He’s not like some of the other kids I’ve seen on the tours, and he’s certainly not like the kids I went to school with. If he and I had been in school together, I know we would have been friends. If I would have had a kid like that to hang out with, my life would have been so much better.”
“Be careful,” he warned.
“Be careful of what?”
“You’re getting close to the kid. You don’t even really know this woman. Don’t let the kid muddy the waters.”
I stared at him for several seconds. “Are you speaking English? I have no idea what the hell you are saying.”
“I’m saying, you like the kid. You feel a kinship with him. That relationship could be confusing what you feel for her.”
I frowned. “No. Definitely not. I know what I feel for her.”
He nodded. “Okay, say you do like her and things are good between you right now. You’re in the honeymoon period. Life is good. She’s good. You’re good. The kid is good. It can’t last forever. What happens when you guys get to know each other a little better and you figure out you aren’t right for each other?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Exactly. You’ve got a kid involved. If you get close with Jace and then you and Harper decide you can’t stand each other anymore, you aren’t just breaking up with her. You’re breaking up with a little boy that has come to like you and maybe even depends on you. Are you sure you’re up for that?”
“I don’t know.”
He sighed. “I’m not trying to tell you not to see this woman, but I am telling you to tread carefully. You’re dealing with a little boy’s feelings. You and I know you would never want to hurt anyone, especially a kid.”
“Are you saying I shouldn’t see her, or I shouldn’t see Jace?” I asked.
“I’m saying, take it slow. Be sure you know what you’re getting into. This woman has kind of come in like a steamroller. You’re caught up in her orbit. I’m not sure you know what’s up or down at this point. I get that she’s different and you feel good right now because you have this new confidence, but are you just her pet project for the moment? You don’t know all that much about her. She might work her magic on you and then move on to her next project.”
“I’m not a project,” I retorted.
“No, you’re not a project, which is why I want you to be sure you know what you are doing,” he said gently. “I’m happy for you, I truly am, but I worry about you.”
“I know, but this is different. I guess we’ll see after tomorrow if she’s through with me. Regardless of what happens, I am going to chalk this all up to a good lesson learned. I might be her project, but I’m certainly benefiting from the arrangement. She’s opened my eyes to a world I didn’t think I could ever belong in. I’m a little nervous about tomorrow, but not like I would normally be. I’m actually looking forward to the event.”
He smiled. “That is definitely progress. I’m going to start booking more remotes.”
I held up a hand. “Don’t get carried away. This is easy because we won’t be the only ones and there will be enough people that I can hide in the crowd.”
“I’ll take it slow, but this is really going to be a good step forward,” he said.
“I hope so. I hope I don’t completely bomb tomorrow.”
“You won’t. She won’t let you.”
I grinned. He was right. I knew she would literally hold my hand through the whole thing if that was what I needed. I was pretty sure I would be just fine knowing she was nearby. That should probably worry me, but it didn’t. I knew what Sawyer was saying, but I didn’t get the impression she was using me to make herself feel better.
I wasn’t a charity case, and she did not make me feel like that. She needed me as much as I needed her. I had believed her when she had told me I helped calm her nerves. It was good to be needed.
“Are you ready to head back to the office?” I asked him, checking the time.
He nodded. “You’re eager.”
“I pushed that first batch of my new recipe through production,” I told him. “I want to do some sampling and make sure it’s right.”
He shook his head. “You know how crazy it is to push this through without giving it some test runs and consumer testing?”
“I do, but I know my candy, and I know this stuff is good. I’m not worried. I just want to make sure the larger batch will hold up.”
He sighed. “You’re crazy.”
“Maybe so, but if this is as good as I think it’s going to be, it’s a gamble that will pay off.”
“I suppose I have to trust the candy man.”
; I smiled. “I suppose you do.”
We paid our check and headed out to his tiny sports car that he had insisted on driving. I felt like I had to fold myself up to get in the damn thing. He drove like a bat out of hell back to the factory. I didn’t have to worry about holding on—I was so cramped I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to.
I went directly to the production team I had selected to make the first few batches of the candy. “Ready?” I asked the middle-aged man wearing all white along with a white hairnet.
He grinned. “I thought you’d be by. I saved a couple of pieces from the first few batches for you to sample.”
“Thank you.”
I popped one into my mouth and savored every flavor before grabbing another piece. I nodded, giving him a thumbs-up, and ordered him to continue making the recipe. I was planning to debut it tomorrow and wanted plenty on hand.
I walked back to my office, finding my phone on my desk with a green flashing light. I reached for my phone and checked the message. It was from Harper. I smiled as I read it.
Can’t wait to see you tomorrow. I hope you’re ready for lots of fun.
I quickly texted her back a similar message, truly looking forward to something I would have hated a month ago. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the idea of being in a large crowd of people, but I was excited to experience the crowd with Harper. I knew she’d be busy and probably wouldn’t have a lot of time to spend with me, but I was going to take advantage of every free minute she had.
I sat down at the desk and pulled up the website for Halloweenfest. I flipped through pictures of past festivals, smiling at the pictures of Harper as she posed with various vendors and sponsors. She was on the homepage of the site, wearing one of the T-shirts advertising the festival. I stared into the blue eyes that had captivated me from the very first moment I looked into them.
It was real. I knew it was real. I wasn’t a pet project.
Chapter 24
Harper
I had barely slept a wink last night. I didn’t need coffee. I felt like I had electricity humming through my veins. This was the day I had been waiting for. Three hundred and sixty-four days of planning had all come to this one day. I had checked and rechecked and triple checked all the final details. It was hard to think it would all be over at the end of the day.
A year of planning to have it over in a few hours was crazy. I supposed it was no different than a wedding. Fortunately, I had never spent a shitload of money on a wedding. I wasn’t a frivolous woman, not usually. I could admit there were some days I wished I could have had the beautiful dress and the elaborate reception.
But I didn’t have time to be melancholy. Tomorrow and the following weeks would be the huge letdown. After the big leadup, the day after was always kind of an adjustment. I devoted so much time and energy to the festival that when it was over, I felt a little lost.
Jace was in Kylie’s room at the hotel we had rented for the weekend. We’d flown down after school on Thursday and spent the evening working on some of the final details. I grabbed my room key, stuck it in the back pocket of the jeans I was wearing, and took one last look in the mirror. I was wearing one of the shirts we’d invested in, hoping to do a little advertising. Jace and Kylie would be wearing the shirts as well.
I headed down the hall, knocking on her room door that was next to mine. “It’s me,” I called.
Jace pulled open the door. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hey, kiddo. Are you in here driving Aunt Kylie crazy?”
He grinned. “We were talking about the festival.”
“I bet you were,” I said, following him into the suite.
Kylie was sitting at the small table, her head bent over a puzzle that hurt my brain just to look at it. “He’s making me put this together.”
“I’m helping,” he protested.
“Are you ready to head over?” I asked Jace.
He wrinkled his nose. “Already? We’re going to be there all day.”
“You can help me. There will be plenty of stuff for you to do.”
“We can hang out here for a while,” Kylie offered.
I grimaced. “But what if I need you?”
She smiled. “You don’t need me. You’ve got this handled. Besides, you only need to call.”
I sighed. She was the one keeping me together. I looked at Jace. I would be able to work better if I didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on Jace. I looked from him to her and then at my watch. “All right. How about you guys meet me there at three?”
Kylie nodded. “We can do that.”
“Be good,” I ordered Jace. “And don’t give her a hard time if she can’t do the puzzle.”
He smiled. “I’ll help her.”
“I’m helping you,” she retorted.
I winked at Jace. “Play nice. And call me if you need anything, Kylie.”
“Same to you,” she said.
I ruffled Jace’s hair. “See you in a bit. Don’t forget to put your shirt on.”
“I will, Mom. Good luck.”
I smiled and headed out of the room. I was a little anxious to be going alone, but I was a big girl. On the way down to the hotel lobby, I thought about calling Theo to see when he would show up but resisted. I hailed a cab and arrived at the festival grounds a few minutes later. We had reserved the hotel months in advance because of its proximity to the festival.
It was a beehive of activity. There were people everywhere, setting up booths and rides and velvet ropes for the lines that were sure to form. I barely walked five feet before I was stopped and asked about a setup. I had spent months assigning spaces. Every space was marked with giant numbers made out of neon tape. And just like every year, someone was still confused.
I was just about ready to lose my mind when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Yes?” I said, biting back my frustration. I turned around, ready to scold whoever it was that couldn’t follow simple instructions.
“Hey, damn, you look like you’re having a rough day,” Theo said.
I fell into his warm body. His arms immediately came around me. In an instant, I felt a hundred times better. He helped make everything okay. “You’re here.”
“I’m here. I got done early and took the jet. I was sure you would be running around like a crazy woman.”
I stepped back and held out my arms. “I’m a crazy woman.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
I looked around. “Well, for starters, that petting zoo fence is interfering with the line for the haunted house. I draw maps, and I make lines with tape. Do you know how much duct tape we used? At least ten rolls! Ten rolls and people still can’t figure out where to set up!”
He reached for me again, dropping a kiss on my lips and quieting my little freak-out. “You’re doing great. It looks amazing. I came through the front entrance and felt like I was walking into Disneyland. That is one hell of an entrance you’ve created.”
I grinned. “That’s the idea. I want people to feel like they are stepping into another world.”
He nodded. “I definitely felt that. Where’s Jace?”
“He’s at the hotel with Kylie. They’ll be here soon.”
“All right, I’m here, and my people have everything under control, they tell me. I’m all yours. You tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
I smiled, feeling like he had just come in on a big white horse. “My hero.”
We divided and conquered. No one would know the guy had some serious social anxiety. He was a pro. And personable. People liked him. I didn’t think any of them knew who he was. He was so down to earth and just a regular guy. No one would know he was a billionaire.
After doing what felt like the tenth round around the park we had reserved, it was time to officially open. I went in search of Theo.
“Hey,” I said, grabbing his attention.
He turned around. “Hey there. Got another job for me?”
“No. I was just coming by t
o let you know we’re opening the gates. Are you ready?”
“Absolutely.”
“That sounds very upbeat.”
He smiled. “I’m feeling upbeat. Come back around when you get a chance.”
“I will.”
I headed up to the main gates and gave them the okay to start letting people in. Kylie and Jace were going to come later. With Theo’s help, I felt like I had things under control and could do without her. I stuck around the gates for a bit, greeting attendees before I began to make my way around the festival, doing more follow-ups to make sure everything was going well.
I found myself back near the area where Theo’s company was set up. He was lurking in the background, not saying anything to anyone.
I waved, getting his attention. He looked relieved to see me. “You’re back.”
I grinned. “I’m making my rounds. Would you like to walk with me?”
He sighed. “Yes. Absolutely.”
Together, we made our way around the booths. I didn’t introduce him as Theo the Candy Man. I kept it simple, referring to him as only Theo. “I should probably go find Jace and Kylie,” I said after doing one round.
He nodded. “I’m going to get back to the booth and observe.”
“I’ll find you again soon.”
“Tell Jace I said hello.”
“You can tell him yourself. We’ll be back around to see you. I know he’ll want to see this secret candy you’ve got up your sleeve.”
He winked. “I’m anxious to reveal it. I created it with him in mind.”
“I’ll see you soon,” I said, touching his shoulder before heading off to find Jace and Kylie. They were supposed to be waiting for me near the petting zoo.
I saw Jace’s blond hair in the crowd. I smiled at passing attendees as I made my way through the crowd that seemed to be growing by the minute. Judging by the smiles I saw and the laughter I heard, I was convinced things were going well.
“Hi, guys!” I greeted them.
“Mom! Look at this little goat!”
I looked at the fuzzy beast and nodded. Goats were some of the ugliest creatures on the planet as far as I was concerned. “I see.”
“Do you want to pet him?” Jace asked. “He’s really nice.”
All About The Treats Page 15